REPORT ON CONFERENCE OF THE ICMLPO

THE conference of the International Coference of Marxist-Leninist Parties and Organizations (ICMLPO) was held before the International Seminar with a discussion on the current international developments and the challenges before the communist forces.

The meeting of the JCG (Joint Coordination Group) and ICMLPO was dominated by the question put forward by the Main Coordinator of the JCG, the MLPD, that there is no need to continue the ICMLPO. The CPI(ML) Red Star had put forward this view in the last Conference itself and supported this position. The ICMLPO had been necessary at a certain stage in the 1980s when there was great confusion in the International Communist Movement on the Theory of Three Worlds put forward by the Dengists in China and on the degeneration of China and Albania from socialist path. At this stage, different organisations were formed like the RIM, the Brussels Conference, etc. The ICMLPO has lasted the longest.

According to statutes of the ICMLPO there could only be discussion, there could be no decisions except for some resolutions passed in the Conferences held every three years. Even when we asked for a statement when USA attacked Iraq, the rules did not allow this. It was then, some organisations like MLPD and we felt the need to form an organisation which, though not adopting democratic centralism, had some mechanisms for taking practical steps and for coordination such as for international campaigns, etc. Through a series of discussions on this issue, ICOR was finally born. Thus now ICOR could serve the purpose which ICMLPO had earlier served.

The parties opposing the dissolution of ICMLPO argued that ICOR was a broader organisation which did not require adherence to MLM Thought. We pointed out that there could be no theory without practice, and no practise without theory. As such to have two separate organisations for this was not required. Out of the nearly 40 members of ICMLPO, all except 4 (Phillipines, Argentine, Uruguay and TKP-ML from Turkey) others are members of ICOR. Therefore there was much duplication of effort. These four parties could be included in all mailings for signing resolutions, joint campaigns, etc even without becoming members of ICOR. Uruguay has expressed interest in joining ICOR as also TkP-ML. The former attended the ICOR world conference as an observer. Argentina also said that they would consider in their party to join ICOR.

It is now decided that all would discuss in their parties and inform by the end of January whether we want ICMLPO to continue or not. The majority decision would be decisive. Till then the existing JCG would continue to complete this poll. 